Chancellor's Column

In keeping with the vision of our Founder, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, the American University of Sharjah continues to grow in stature and strength with every semester.

The freshman class of 2005 provides strong evidence of this trend. With a seven percent increase over last fallʼs enrollment, this semester saw nearly 950 students begin classes. Since the university raised the admissions standards from a minimum high school average of 70 percent to 80 percent this term, we can be confident we are attracting the best students in the Emirates and in the region. We are pleased to have these bright young men and women on our campus and are confident that they will join the ranks of AUS graduates whose careers will be a source of pride for all of us.

To accommodate our growing student numbers and qualifications, we continue our efforts to improve university operations in all areas. For academic year 2005 we recruited approximately 45 highly qualified new faculty members to ensure that our standards for teaching and research, for which we have acquired an enviable reputation in the region, will attain even greater recognition in the future.

The university's state-of-the-art library building will soon open its doors. It is slated to become a leading resource center in the region, equipped with materials and technology that can satisfy the demands of rigorous undergraduate and graduate programs as well as faculty research. To meet the expressed interests of our students, we opened new restarants and services in the Student Center this year and renovated others. An enriching campus life for students includes both academic and nonacademic experiences. We continue to strive to provide a stimulating and rewarding university experience for all our students in both areas.

Dr. Winfred Thompson